Open Water Swimming News from Ireland
Dippers to Swimmers, Beach to Buoy, open water skills and yoga and dip are among Swim Ireland’s tuition programmes for its summer season. The 45-minute classes, which will run for four or six weeks depending on location around the Irish…
Galway City Council has imposed a ban on swimming at two beaches due to E.coli contamination. The bacterial contamination was detected during tests at Grattan beach in Lower Salthill and Ballyloughane beach on the city's east side near Renmore. The…
RNLI Crosshaven Called Out for Two People Attempting to Swim Across Ringabella Bay After being Cut off by the Tide
4th August 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Shortly after launching on exercise this evening, Valentia Coast Guard tasked the volunteer RNLI crew at 7.15 pm to proceed to Ringabella Bay, where two people who had been cut off by the tide attempted to swim across the bay…
University of Portsmouth Initiates Study on Impact of Open Water Swimming on Depression
28th July 2022 Sea Swim
Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have initiated a study to determine if open water swimming has an impact on depression. The researchers are seeking people in Britain to take part in the randomised control trial, where some participants will…
The Atlantic Life Boat Swim fundraiser raised over €5,000 last Saturday (July 23rd). Held at Rinville, Oranmore on Galway Bay, over 150 sea swimmers braved the bad weather for the annual event held in aid of Galway RNLI Lifeboat and…
Water Safety Ambassador Henry O'Donnell Goes Blue for World Drowning Prevention Day
26th July 2022 Sea Swim
Sporting blue hair, painted blue eyelids and a blue wave painted on his chest, Water Safety Ireland ambassador Henry O’Donnell took to the Donegal coastline to issue a safety appeal on World Drowning Prevention day. The former Army Ranger, lifeguard,…
Galway RNLI Rescues Six People From Water After Group Gets Cut off by Tide at Rabbit Island
19th July 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Galway RNLI rescued six people who got into difficulty in the sea off Rabbit Island on Monday evening (18 July). The group who had walked over to the island at low tide became stranded by the incoming tide and were attempting…
Jessika Robson Wins Seaside Revival Pickie to Pier Swim in Bangor, County Down
17th July 2022 Sea Swim
From Skippingstone Beach on the west side of Bangor Bay on Belfast Lough to the RNLI slipway in the Harbour is 800 metres and last week 200 swimmers raced that distance in the swim called the 'Pickie to Pier' named…
Galway Bay Swim Crossing for Cancer Care West and Tightrope Walking on the Claddagh Make for Busy Action on Water Today
16th July 2022 Galway Harbour
Swimmers transiting Galway Bay and tight rope walking across the city’s Claddagh basin will make for busy activity on Galway’s waterways today (Sat July 16) during the hot weather spell. A total of 130 swimmers have registered to cross the…
Fethard RNLI’s Water Safety Officer Begins New Role With Swim Safely Clinic
9th July 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
As the summer season begins, Fethard RNLI’s new volunteer water safety officer Rebecca Doyle commenced her role by organising a swim safely clinic. Local swim group Hooked on Swimming and the local triathlon club attended the clinic, which was provided…
The “Longest Day Swim” on Galway’s river Corrib takes place this Saturday after a two–year break due to Covid-19. North American Olympic gold medallist Joseph “Gunnar” Bentz has been invited to lead the event on July 2nd. Bentz won two…
Red Bay RNLI Volunteers Save Swimmer Who Gets into Difficulty off Cushendall
14th June 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Volunteers at Red Bay RNLI saved a swimmer on Monday evening (13 June) after she got into difficulty 200m from the shore at Cushendall in County Antrim. The inshore lifeboat helmed by Emmet Connon and with three crew members onboard,…
Wicklow RNLI Join Multi-Agency Search for Missing Swimmer at Silver Strand
4th June 2022 RNLI Lifeboats
Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats were launched after 09:45 am this morning (Saturday 4 June), following reports of a missing swimmer at Silver Stand beach. The alarm was raised after the wife of the swimmer became concerned for his safety and…
Pioneering sea swimmer Mercedes Gleitze was the first British woman to cross the English Channel and first to navigate the Straits of Gibraltar. On August 3rd, 1931, Gleitze swam from the Aran island of Inis Meáin to Awleen bay in…
The Fingal Swim Fest on north Dublin’s Donabate/Portrane peninsula and Mayo’s River Moy Swim are among events taking place in June for Swim Ireland’s new open water programme. The Enniscrone Pier swim in Sligo on July 3rd, Youghal Swim Fest…
Dublin Bay sailor Guy O’Leary is back in the water and challenging himself again to swim a mile each day during the month of May in aid of cancer research. Each day of the MileADayInMay! swimming challenge will see Guy…